Supported by Singha Estate Public Company Limited The ‘Phi Phi Set To Change’ programme brings together leading experts from Phi Phi Island National Park Division, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Marine Science Department, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, Faculty of Science at Chulalongkorn University. Working together closely, the group aims to control, manage, recover and restore the natural assets of Koh Phi Phi using a park management model incorporating nature-based solutions.

“Change comes from collaboration as we work together to restore Phi Phi Island as a world-renowned destination for marine resources,” said Mr. Naris Cheyklin, CEO, Singha Estate Plc.

At Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort, a new reverse osmosis (RO) plant has been installed that will provide 20,000 litres of clean, sustainable water per hour using a system that requires little maintenance at low long-term cost.

Water is collected and stored during the rainy season in large reservoirs then processed in the reverse osmosis plant when required. It passes through two separate sediment filters to remove larger particles, then through five micron filters to remove organic chemicals. In the final stage of the process the water is treated using reverse osmosis; a high pressure pump pushes it through a membrane filter leaving 95-99 percent of impurities behind.

“The aim of installing this state-of-the-art reverse osmosis plant is to provide much of the fresh water needed for running the resort through environmentally friendly, sustainable methods,” said Mr. Chao Treenawong, General Manager. “The advantages of this system are numerous. The energy requirement of the RO purification systems is low, further reducing the carbon footprint of the resort. Secondly, the modular design of the plant makes maintenance easy and cheap with a simple learning curve for untrained workers.”

As owners of Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort, Singha Estate Plc clearly understands the need to implement and manage a range of environmentally friendly initiatives. In addition to water treatment systems, the company is also supporting a number of wider measures around the island, including sealing off reefs for coral restoration using seaweed and a ‘super algae’ known as zooxanthella.

As part of the “Phi Phi Set To Change” Programme, the number of boats and visitors to Loh Ba Gao and Phai Island has been reduced with a ‘park & ride’ system introduced for operators to drop off visitors and moor their boats at floating docks, instead of anchoring at sea, which damages the coral reef. Watchdog boats have also been provided to help park officers work more effectively, assisting visitors and keeping violators away.

“Our unique location in Loh Ba Gao Bay on Koh Phi Phi Don means the natural beauty inside and surrounding Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort is second to none,” added Mr. Chao. “We are constantly increasing our efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the resort, while also encouraging guests to do their part in sustaining the resources and beauty of the region.”